A tribute to the Toronto Maple Leafs and their fans

A tribute to the Toronto Maple Leafs and their fans

(Dedicated to one of the biggest Maple Leafs fans ever meet Frankie on his birthday)

The Toronto Maple Leafs fans put on your leafs pajamas get your blue and write drink ready as the reinforcements are already on James Reimer's back as he is going to be carrying the Leafs on his back into the playoffs. The Leafs have not been in the playoffs since 2004 so lets remember the good Ol' days of been in the playoffs like when the Maple Leafs score the city erupt in a huge cheer and when they win a series it like a huge traffic jam with lots of horns being blow or even being broken. The days when Doug Gilmour had his wrap around goal in double overtime Vs Curtus Joesph and the Blues on the 63 shot of the game and Nikki Borschevsky goal against the Detroit Red Wings in 93 in game 7 too along with Mike Foligno overtime goal in game 5 against the Rd Wings when he jumps madly into the air after scoring the goal. To having a tribute song about one of the time actually won the Stanley Cup called " 50 mission cap " by the Tragically Hip which was about Bill Barilko who won the Leafs the Cup and then disappeared in a plane crash along with a song "Maple Leafs Forever" into their own song. To have 11 cups in 35 years and then not have another in 44 years and still being able to stand by the team like it is the greatest thing since sliced bread when there has way more bad times than good is completely amazing. Like I will always remember may first ever day of working for my own money just happens to be the day after Wayne Gretzky high-sticked Doug Gilmour in game 6 of the Western Conference final in 93 and was not called and has been talked about ever since. To all those rip your heart moments in Conference Finals when your hopes were so high and to have all that excitement of being tied 2-2 with the New Jersy Devils in the second round of the 2001 Stanley Cup playoffs as they were winning by 2 goals with seconds left when Tie Domi went into business for himself by checking Scott Niedermayer into boards from behind and given the Devils the motivation to get to the Stanley Cup final. Where a guy Leafs fans are so crazy grabbing so many tickets to the games in Carolina that when the Leafs played the Hurricanes in the Eastern Conference Final in 2002 the Hurricanes had put a policy in place where only people Carolina or neighboring states could buy tickets to game 7 which was another game 7 disappointment. The Leafs fans are so passionate about their team sell out the Gardens and now the ACC so that most games are standing room only crowds while they complain about the suits who get the best seats in the house and still on their hands during games. While a Maple Leafs lost into the crowd and while play kept going the fan tossed the stick back to him and he kept playing with it which was amazing to see happening.

I differently have to give Maple Leafs fans credit for putting up with Habs fans chanting 67 at Leafs and their fans when the Leafs play in Montreal and having to be the only original 6 team to not win a cup in the post original era and still stand by their Leafs and cheer louder than ever as their best young goalie in quite a while who looks strong enough to give Leafs fans a chance to experience the playoffs again.

Let's hope the Leafs finish strong happy birthday Frankie

Tom Mehegan